Open architecture for self-organizing networks

ABSTRACT

A self-organizing network (SON) with an application programming interface (API) common to multiple SON tools is described herein. Through the API, a SON tool may receive one more performance indicators associated with network information. The SON tool may then generate an updated network configuration based at least in part on the one or more performance indicators and provide, though the API, the updated network configuration to configure one or more network components. The SON tool, and other SON tools, may be executed by an SON automation engine, the SON automation engine and the API enabling additional SON tools to be added to the SON.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority filing benefit from U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/695,212, filed Aug. 30, 2012,which is hereby incorporated by reference, in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Self-Organizing Networks (SON) are networks capable of any or all ofautomatic self-configuration, self-optimization, or self-healing. Recentdevelopments of SON have centered on radio access networks, but any sortof network may be developed into an SON, such as a smart energy gridsystem or a medical health system. For radio access networks, such astelecommunication networks, self-configuration may include use of“plug-and-play” techniques for automatically configuring and integratingnew base stations into the networks. Self-optimization includesautomatic adjustments of base station parameters based on performanceindicators. Self-healing may also involve automatic adjustments of basestation parameters. For instance, a neighboring base station may beautomatically re-configured to support users of a failed base station.

Tools have been developed for radio access networks implementing SONtechnologies. Such tools may include performance management tools, radiofrequency (RF) planning tools, automatic frequency planning tools,rehoming tools, or automatic cell planning tools. Each of these tools isentirely self-contained and handles everything from interfacing directlywith network components to retrieve measurements and configureparameters, to smart analysis of and decisions regarding measurementsand configurations, to presentation of users of relevant information.Because each tool is self-contained while performing many of the sametasks, there is a great amount of redundancy across the tools, and aheightened burden on tool developers, thereby hindering adoption of SON.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Theuse of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similaror identical items or features.

FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a SON with an application programminginterface (API) common to a plurality of SON tools, the SON toolsreceiving performance indicators via the API and performing at least oneaction based on the performance indicators.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example environment including multiple SONcomponents for a telecommunication network, the multiple SON componentssharing a common API and each performing some aspect of planning,configuring, managing, optimizing, or healing the telecommunicationnetwork in an automated fashion. The API enables further SON componentsto be added or modified.

FIG. 3 illustrates a component level view of a computing deviceconfigured to implement one or more SON components.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example process for receiving through an API forSONs, by a SON tool, performance indicators and performing at least oneaction based on the performance indicators.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure describes, in part, an API for SONs that is common to atleast a plurality of SON tools of a specific SON. The API enablesmultiple SON components to each focus on a purpose (e.g., dataconsolidation, visualization, etc.) while communicating with each otherto accomplish an overall SON plan. Thus, one component may gathernetwork information and determine performance indicators and another mayreceive updated network configurations and configure network components,and a SON tool may receive performance indicators and provide updatednetwork configurations to those components using the API or perform atleast one action based on the performance indicators. The SON tool mayalso or instead be triggered by another SON component and perform anaction, such as restoring a parameter to a specific value following aparameter consistency check, without respect to the performanceindictors.

Additionally, the API may be extended by new SON tools, and the SON mayinclude a SON automation engine to receive the new SON tools, tointegrate the new SON tools into the SON, and to execute the new SONtools. The SON automation engine may handle a range of tasks for SONtools, significantly reducing the amount of development required for agiven SON tool. In some embodiments, the SON automation engine mayreceive specification of SON tools from developers through, for example,a SON portal.

Overview

FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a SON with an application programminginterface (API) common to a plurality of SON tools, the SON toolsreceiving performance indicators via the API and performing at least oneaction based on the performance indicators. As illustrated, one or morecomputing devices 102 associated with a SON 104 may be configured withSON tools 106 that utilize an API for SONs 108 which is common to themultiple SON tools 106. The SON tools 106 receive performance indicators110 associated with network information via the API 108, the performanceindicators 110 having been determined by a consolidation engine 112. TheSON tools 106 perform at least one action based on the performanceindicators 110, such as generating updated network configurations basedon the performance indicators 110 and providing the updated networkconfigurations via the API 108 to a parameter configurator 114. Theparameter configurator 114 then configures one or more networkcomponents 116 of the SON 104 by, for example, updating parameters ofthe network component(s) 116.

In various embodiments, the computing device(s) 102 may each be orinclude a server or server farm, multiple, distributed server farms, amainframe, a work station, a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer,a tablet computer, an embedded system, or any other sort of device ordevices. In one implementation, the computing device(s) 102 represent aplurality of computing devices working in communication, such as a cloudcomputing network of nodes. The computing device(s) 102 may belong tothe SON 104 or may be external to but in communication with the SON 104.An example computing device 102 is illustrated in FIG. 3 and isdescribed in detail below with reference to that figure.

The SON 104 may be any sort of network configured by SON components toperform at least one of self-configuring, self-optimizing, orself-healing. Such SON components are illustrated in FIG. 1 by elements106-114. For example, the SON 104 may be a radio access network, such asa telecommunication network, a smart energy grid network, or a medicalhealth network. The network component(s) 116 of the SON 104 may besubnetworks, devices, or modules capable of being initialized orconfigured by the SON components 106-114. For example, when the SON 104is a telecommunication network, such as a 2G, 3G, or 4G/LTE network, thenetwork component(s) 116 may be base stations (e.g., Node Bs or eNodeBs), radio network controllers (RNCs), an operations support system(OSS), a word order system, or other network element(s). Informationabout the SON 104 (referred to herein as “network information”), such asmeasurements or parameters, may also be provided by the networkcomponent(s) 116, or may instead be provided by other sources within theSON 104. For example, the network information may be provided by any orall of a trouble ticket system, radio traces, core network traces, froman OSS, or from one or more other network elements. Depending on thepurpose(s) of the SON 104 (e.g., telecommunications, energy, medicalhealth), the SON 104 may include any number of different subnetworks,devices, and modules specific to the purpose(s) of the SON 104 and maybe in communication with any number of devices external to the SON 104.

In some embodiments, the consolidation engine 112 may be a SON componentwhose purpose to receive or retrieve network information and todetermine performance indicators 110 based on that network information.The consolidation engine 112 may have ongoing, periodic, or event-drivenconnections to sources of network information of the SON 104, and theconsolidation engine 112 receives or retrieves the network informationvia those connections.

Upon receiving the network information, the consolidation engine 112utilizes a store of performance indicators 110, such as key performanceindicators, associated with the API 108 to determine new/updatedperformance indicators 110. The store of performance indicators 110 maybe any sort of database, file, or data structure. Also, the store ofperformance indicators 110 may be associated with a schema, and theschema may be extended, along with the API 108, in response to theaddition of new SON tools 106. Based on the schema, the storedperformance indicators 110, and the received or retrieved networkinformation, the consolidation engine 112 determines new/updatedperformance indicators 110 and stores those new/updated performanceindicators 110 in the store of performance indicators 110. Newperformance indicators 110 may be generated by the consolidation engine112 responsive to a request to generate a performance indicator 110 thatwas received by the consolidation engine 112 from a SON tool 106. Insome embodiments, this may involve filtering out redundant ornon-utilized network information.

The consolidation engine 112 may then automatically provide thedetermined performance indicators 110 to one or more of the SON tools106 by utilizing the API 108 to invoke the one or more SON tools 106.The SON tools 106 invoked may be a function of which performanceindicators 110 have been added or updated. In other embodiments, ratherthan automatically invoking SON tools 106, the consolidation engine 112may be queried for performance indicators 110 by the SON tools 106 viathe API 108.

In various embodiments, the API 108 is an API for SONs that may bestandardized and shared among multiple SONs. When standardized, the API108 may expose at least one of standardized methods/procedures orstandardized parameters, such as performance indicators 110. In otherembodiments, the architecture utilizing the API 108 may be standardizedamong multiple SONs, but the API 108 may be specific to the SON 104,including methods/procedures and parameters/performance indicators 110that are specific to the SON tools 106. For example, an SON tool 106 mayhave a method to invoke that SON tool 106 to generate an updated networkconfiguration, and the method may be associated with specificperformance indicators 110 that are to be provided when calling themethod. Such a method may be part of the API 108. Likewise, theconsolidation engine 112 may provide a query method for retrievingperformance indicators 110, the query method having as parameters theidentifiers of the performance indicators 110 being sought by the query.Such a query method may also be part of the API 108. In addition, theAPI 108 may include methods for providing data to or for receiving orretrieving data from any of the SON components 106-114. In someembodiments, the API 108 may include methods for alerts or alarms thatmay be utilized by the SON tools 106 to receive notifications that, forexample, a performance indicator 110 exceeds a threshold. Also, whilethe API 108 is illustrated as a separate SON component, it is to beunderstood that the methods/processes associated with the API 108 aremethods/processes of the other SON components 106 and 110-114 and thatAPI 108 may simply be a logical representation, not a separate module ofcode or hardware device.

In some embodiments, the SON tools 106 may each be responsible forperforming some task associated with self-configuration,self-optimization, or self-healing of the SON 104 resulting, forexample, in the generation of an updated network configuration by thatSON tool 106. The SON tools 106 may also each invoke, via the API 108, aSON component to perform an action based on the performance indicators110, invoke, via the API 108, an engineering tool based on theperformance indicators 110, pass, via the API 108, informationassociated with the performance indicators 110 to a SON component,sending, via the API 108, a notification associated with the performanceindicators 110, or generate of a report based on the performanceindicators 110.

The updated network configuration may simply be an update to a singleparameter of a single network component 116 or may represent a morecomprehensive configuration of multiple parameters of multiple networkcomponents 116. A SON tool 106 may be invoked by the consolidationengine 112 and receive performance indicators 110 or may invoke a querymethod of the API 108 associated with the consolidation engine 112 toreceive or retrieve performance indicators 110. A SON tool 106 may alsobe invoked by another SON tool 106 through the API 108, and those SONtools 106 may collaborate.

Using the performance indicators 110, the SON tool 106 may generate anupdated network configuration and invoke a method of the API 108associated with the parameter configurator 114 to provide the parameterconfigurator with the updated network configuration. For example, theSON tool 106 may be a rehoming tool and may receive a performanceindicator 110 which notifies the SON tool 106 that an RNC has been addedfor a geographic area. In response, the SON tool 106 may generate anupdated network configuration which reassigns a number of base stationsthat are currently associated with one RNC to the new RNC.

Examples of SON tools 106 may include any or all of an automated reportgenerating tool, a parameter consistency check tool, a real-time alerttool, a mobility evaluation tool, a coverage and interference managementtool, a network outage tool, a network configuration tool, a loaddistribution tool, a spectrum carving tool, or a special events tool.Additionally or instead, the SON tools 106 may include any or all of aperformance management tool, a radio frequency (RF) planning tool, anautomatic frequency planning tool, a rehoming tool, an automatic cellplanning tool, or a geolocation tool.

In some embodiments, SON tools 106 may perform actions without respectto performance indicators 110. The SON tools 106 may be triggered byother SON components and may perform an action, such as resetting aparameter, without needing to receive or retrieve performance indicators110.

In various embodiments, the parameter configurator 114 may be invoked bya SON tool 106 and provided, via the API 108, with an updated networkconfiguration. Alternatively, the parameter configurator 114 may invokea SON tool 106 to retrieve an already prepared, updated networkconfiguration or to have the SON tool 106 generate and provide anupdated network configuration. Upon retrieving or receiving the updatednetwork configuration, the parameter configurator 114 configures one ormore network components 116 with the updated network configuration. Asmentioned above, this may involve adjusting one or more parameters ornetwork component(s) 116. Example network component(s) 116 are describedabove in further detail.

Example Environment

FIG. 2 illustrates an example environment including multiple SONcomponents for a telecommunication network, the multiple SON componentssharing a common API and each performing some aspect of planning,configuring, managing, optimizing, or healing the telecommunicationnetwork in an automated fashion. The API enables further SON componentsto be added or modified. As illustrated, one or more computing devices202 associated with a SON telecommunication network 204 may beconfigured with SON tools 206 that utilize an API for SONs 208 which iscommon to the multiple SON tools 206. The SON tools 206 receiveperformance indicators 210 associated with network information via theAPI 208, the performance indicators 210 having been determined by aconsolidation engine 212. A SON automation engine 214 executes the SONtools 106, causing the SON tools 106 to perform an action based on theperformance indicators 210, such as generating updated networkconfigurations based on the performance indicators 210 and provide theupdated network configurations via the API 208 to a parameterconfigurator 216. The parameter configurator 216 then configures one ormore network components 216 of the SON telecommunication network 204 by,for example, updating parameters of the network component(s) 218.Example network component(s) 218 may include a trouble ticket system220, radio traces 222, core network traces 224, an OSS 226, a work ordersystem 228, one or more other network elements 230, or an alarm system240.

In addition, the SON components illustrated in FIG. 2 include avisualization tool 232 to generate visualizations based on theperformance indicators 210, a SON portal 234 to display thevisualizations, to enable user collaboration regarding the SONtelecommunication network 204, and to enable developer specification ofSON tools 206, engineering tools 236, and a reporting engine 238. Theengineering tools 236 may be invoked by SON tools 206 to participate inself-configuring, self-optimizing, or self-healing the SONtelecommunication network 204. The visualization tool 232, SON portal234, and engineering tools 236 may communicate with each other and withother SON components via the API 208.

The computing device(s) 202 may be similar to or the same as computingdevice(s) 102. Likewise, SON telecommunication network 204 may besimilar to or the same as SON 104, with the difference that SONtelecommunication network 204 is specifically identified as atelecommunication network. Network component(s) 218 may also be similarto or the same as network component(s) 116, except that specific networkcomponent(s) 220-230 are illustrated and identified in FIG. 2. Thosenetwork component(s) 218—a trouble ticket system 220, radio traces 222,core network traces 224, an OSS 226, a work order system 228, one ormore other network elements 230, and alarm system 240—are also mentionedabove with respect to network component(s) 116 as examples of networkcomponent(s) 116 that may be associated with SON 104 when SON 104 is atelecommunication network. These network component(s) 218 and othersources of network information may provide network information to theconsolidation engine 212 and receive updated network configurations fromthe parameter configurator 216.

In some embodiments, the SON tools 206, API 208, performance indicators210, consolidation engine 212, and parameter configurator 216 may besimilar to or the same as SON tools 106, API 108, performance indicators110, consolidation engine 112, and parameter configurator 114, and whatis written above with respect to these SON components 106-114 may alsoapply to SON components 206-212 and 216, except as distinguished indescribing FIG. 2.

In various embodiments, the visualization tool 232 may be invoked by ormay query the consolidation engine 212 via the API 208, and thevisualization tool 232 may receive performance indicators 210 as aresult of the invoking or querying. The visualization tool 232 mayreceive the performance indicators 210 periodically or on anevent-driven basis as a result, for example, of performance indicatorsmeeting a threshold or model specified by a rule of the visualizationtool 232 or the consolidation engine. For instance, the visualizationtool 232 may have a rule specifying that the visualization tool 232 isto receive notification if a performance indicator 210 exceeds a certainthreshold, and the consolidation engine 212 may expose, via the API 208,an alert or alarm method that the visualization tool 232 may registerfor. In such an instance, responsive to registration by thevisualization tool 232, the visualization tool 232 may be invoked toreceive an alert or alarm when the performance indicator 210 exceeds thethreshold.

In some embodiments, the visualization tool 232 generates visualizationsbased on the performance indicators 210, alerts, or alarms. Thesevisualizations may graphically convey information about the SONtelecommunication network 204 and may be displayed to a user. In orderto provide the visualizations to users, the visualization tool 232 mayprovide the visualizations to the SON portal 234, which may display thevisualizations, or may provide them to another device for display, suchas a server or an end user device. The SON portal 234 or device that thevisualization is shared with may be a function of configuration of thevisualization tool 232.

Also, in further embodiments, the visualization tool 232 may invoke theSON automation engine 214 or a particular SON tool 206 executed by thatSON automation engine 214 based on rules or user input. Such rules maydirect the visualization tool 232 to invoke the SON automation engine214 or SON tool 206 when a performance indicator 210 meets a thresholdor model or when an alert or alarm is received. User input, received inresponse to providing a visualization, may also cause the visualizationtool 232 to invoke the SON automation engine 214 or SON tool 206.

In various embodiments, the SON portal 234 may be a user-facingcomponent for displaying information, enabling collaboration of users,and enabling specification by users of SON tools 206. The SON portal 234may receive, via the API, visualizations from the visualization tool 232and may provide those visualization to a user device through, forexample, web page. The SON portal 234 may also receive other networkinformation or performance indicators 210 via the API 208 from any ofthe SON components, such as the consolidation engine 212 or thevisualization engine 232. The SON portal 234 may also receive user inputin return and may provide that user input to a SON tool 206 or to thevisualization engine 232 to utilize in performing an action or infurther visualizations.

The SON portal 234 may also include a collaboration engine or othersocial network component which enables users to communicate about theSON telecommunication network 204, including discussing problems withthe SON plan implemented by the SON telecommunication network 204 andsuggestions for improving that plan. In some embodiments, the SON portal234 may even enable users to vote on a number of suggested improvementsto the SON plan, and the improvement with the highest plurality of votesmay be implemented by developers associated with the SONtelecommunication network 204 specifying a new SON tool 206.

In further embodiments, the SON portal 234 enables specification of SONtools 206. The SON portal 234 may offer a user interface for textual orgraphical specification of a new SON tool 206. Such a user interface maysimply accept textually-specified code for a SON tool 206, or may evenallow a user to select graphical representations of SON components(e.g., a graphical representation of the consolidation engine 212) tocause automatic specification of code for accessing the SON componentthrough the API 208. Also, the SON portal 234 may automatically specifyor update SON tools 206 based on user comments. For example, a SON tool206 may have a threshold at which user devices are reassigned todifferent access networks to avoid congestion. If there are sufficientcomplaints of congestion, the SON portal 234 may update that thresholdto better avoid congestion.

In various embodiments, the SON automation engine 214 may execute anyone or more of the SON tools 206 in response to being invoked throughthe API 208 or in response to the SON tool 206 being invoked, receivingan alarm or alert, etc. The SON automation engine 214 may handle anumber of execution-related functions for SON tools 206, such as memoryallocation and release, calls to system components, etc. Also, the SONautomation engine 214 may receive specifications of SON tools 206 fromthe SON portal 234, compile those specifications if compiling is needed,and execute those SON tools 206.

The SON automation engine 214 may also provide an API 208 for SON tools206 such that SON tools 206 utilize the API 208 of the SON automationengine 214 rather than extending the API 208 with their ownmethod/procedures. In such an embodiment, the API 208 may be relativelystable, with each of the consolidation engine 212, visualization tool232, SON portal 234, engineering tools 236, reporting engine 238,parameter configurator 214, and SON automation engine 214 having theirown method/procedure and performance indicators/parameters. Such arelatively stable API 208 may significantly reduce the burden ondevelopers.

In further embodiments, the engineering tools 236 may participate withSON tools 206 in self-configuring, self-optimizing, or self-healing theSON telecommunication network 204. The engineering tools 236 may even beSON tools themselves, operating independently and without need ofexecution by the SON automation engine 214. As with other SONcomponents, the engineering tools 236 may receive or retrieve datathrough, and provide output to, the API 208. Example engineering tools236 may include at least one of a performance management tool, a RFplanning tool, an automatic frequency planning tool, a rehoming tool, anautomatic cell planning tool, or a geolocation tool. Each engineeringtool 236 may provide output used by other engineering tools 236 or bySON tools 206.

The reporting engine 238 may participate with the SON tools 206 ingenerating reports. The reporting engine 238 may even be a SON toolitself, operating independently and without need of execution by the SONautomation engine 214. As with other SON components, the reportingengine 238 may receive or retrieve data through, and provide output to,the API 208.

In some embodiments, while the SON automation engine 214, visualizationtool 232, SON portal 234, engineering tools 236, and reporting engineare illustrated in FIG. 2 in connection with a SON telecommunicationnetwork 204, the SON automation engine 214, visualization tool 232, SONportal 234, engineering tools 236, and reporting engine 238 may also beassociated with other types of SONs.

Example Device

FIG. 3 illustrates a component level view of a computing deviceconfigured to implement one or more SON components. As illustrated, thecomputing device 300 comprises a system memory 302 storing one or moreSON components 304 and other modules and data 306. Also, the computingdevice 300 includes processor(s) 308, a removable storage 310, anon-removable storage 312, transceivers 314, output device(s) 316, andinput device(s) 318.

In various embodiments, system memory 302 is volatile (such as RAM),non-volatile (such as ROM, flash memory, etc.) or some combination ofthe two. The SON component(s) 304 may be any one or more of the SONtools 106, the API 108, the performance indicator store 110, theconsolidation engine 112, or the parameter configurator 114 describedabove in detail with regard to FIG. 1. The SON component(s) 304 may alsoor instead be any one or more of the SON tools 206, the API 208, theperformance indicator store 210, the consolidation engine 212, the SONautomation engine 214, the parameter configurator 216, the visualizationtool 232, the SON portal 234, or the engineering tools 236 describedabove in detail with regard to FIG. 2. The other modules or data 306stored in the system memory 302 may comprise any sort of applications orplatform components of the computing device 300, as well as dataassociated with such applications or platform components.

In some embodiments, the processor(s) 308 is a central processing unit(CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both CPU and GPU, or anyother sort of processing unit.

The computing device 300 also includes additional data storage devices(removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magnetic disks,optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage is illustrated in FIG. 3by removable storage 310 and non-removable storage 312. Tangiblecomputer-readable media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removableand non-removable media implemented in any method or technology forstorage of information, such as computer readable instructions, datastructures, program modules, or other data. System memory 302, removablestorage 310 and non-removable storage 312 are all examples ofcomputer-readable storage media. Computer-readable storage mediainclude, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or othermemory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or otheroptical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which canbe used to store the desired information and which can be accessed bythe computing device 300. Any such tangible computer-readable media maybe part of the computing device 300.

In some embodiments, the transceivers 314 include any sort oftransceivers known in the art. For example, transceivers 314 may includea radio transceiver that performs the function of transmitting andreceiving radio frequency communications via an antenna. Thetransceivers 314 may facilitate wireless connectivity between thecomputing device 300 and various nodes of the SON 104 or SON 204. Inaddition, the transceivers 314 may also include a wireless communicationtransceiver and a near field antenna for communicating over unlicensedwireless IP networks, such as local wireless data networks and personalarea networks (e.g., Bluetooth or near field communication (NFC)networks). Further, the transceivers 314 may include wired communicationcomponents, such as an Ethernet port, that connect the computing device300 in a wired fashion to one or more nodes of the SON 104 or SON 204.

In some embodiments, the output devices 316 include any sort of outputdevices known in the art, such as a display (e.g., a liquid crystaldisplay), speakers, a vibrating mechanism, or a tactile feedbackmechanism. Output devices 316 also include ports for one or moreperipheral devices, such as headphones, peripheral speakers, or aperipheral display.

In various embodiments, input devices 318 include any sort of inputdevices known in the art. For example, input devices 318 may include acamera, a microphone, a keyboard/keypad, or a touch-sensitive display. Akeyboard/keypad may be a push button numeric dialing pad (such as on atypical telecommunication device), a multi-key keyboard (such as aconventional QWERTY keyboard), or one or more other types of keys orbuttons, and may also include a joystick-like controller and/ordesignated navigation buttons, or the like.

Example Process

FIG. 4 illustrates an example process. This process is illustrated as alogical flow graph, each operation of which represents a sequence ofoperations that can be implemented in hardware, software, or acombination thereof. In the context of software, the operationsrepresent computer-executable instructions stored on one or morecomputer-readable storage media that, when executed by one or moreprocessors, perform the recited operations. Generally,computer-executable instructions include routines, programs, objects,components, data structures, and the like that perform particularfunctions or implement particular abstract data types. The order inwhich the operations are described is not intended to be construed as alimitation, and any number of the described operations can be combinedin any order and/or in parallel to implement the processes.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example process for receiving through an API forSONs, by a SON tool, performance indicators and performing at least oneaction based on the performance indicators. The process includes, at402, the invoking of a SON tool by one or more of a visualization tool,another SON tool, a consolidation engine, or a SON portal. In otherembodiments, rather than being invoked, the SON tool may be executedcontinuously or periodically.

At 404, the SON tool receives one more performance indicators associatedwith network information, the performance indicators received via an APIfor SONs that is utilized by a plurality of SON tools. The networkinformation and the one or more network components are associated withone of a telecommunication network, a smart power grid, or a medicalhealth system. In some embodiments, the API offers one or more alertsand alarms that may be received by or invoked by the SON tool.

At 406, the SON tool performs at least one action based at least in parton the one or more performance indicators, the at least one action beingone of, at 406 a, generating an updated network configuration, at 406 b,invoking, via the API, a SON component to perform an action, at 406 c,invoking, via the API, an engineering tool to perform an action, at 406d, passing, via the API, information to a SON component, at 406 e,sending, via the API, a notification, or at 406 f, generating a report.

At 408, the SON tool provides the updated network configuration via theAPI to configure one or more network components. In some embodiments,the updated network configuration comprises an update to at least one ofthe one or more performance indicators.

CONCLUSION

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather,the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms ofimplementing the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. One or more devices of a self-organizing network(SON), comprising: one or more processors; a consolidation engine which,when operated by the one or more processors, receives networkinformation and determines one or more performance indicators associatedwith the network information; a SON automation engine which, whenoperated by the one or more processors, executes SON tools and exposesto the SON tools an application programming interface (API) for SONs; aSON portal which, when operated by the one or more processors, enablesspecification of at least one of the SON tools for execution by the SONautomation engine; the SON tools, each of which, when operated by theone or more processors, utilizes the API to receive the one or moreperformance indicators and performs at least one of: generating anupdated network configuration based at least in part on the one or moreperformance indicators and utilizing the API to provide the updatednetwork configuration, invoking, based at least in part on the one ormore performance indicators and via the API, a SON component to performan action, passing, via the API, information associated with the one ormore performance indicators to a SON component, sending, via the API, anotification associated with the one or more performance indicators to aSON component, and generating a report based at least in part on the oneor more performance indicators; and a parameter configurator which, whenoperated, receives the updated network configuration via the API andconfigures one or more network components.
 2. The one or more devices ofthe SON of claim 1, further comprising a visualization tool to generatevisualizations of network information based on the one or moreperformance indicators, the visualization tool utilizing the API toreceive the one or more performance indicators from the consolidationengine.
 3. The one or more devices of the SON of claim 1, furthercomprising one or more engineering tools available to the SON tools viathe API, the engineering tools participating in generating the updatednetwork configuration, invoking a SON component, passing theinformation, sending the notification, or generating the report.
 4. Theone or more devices of the SON of claim 1, wherein the SON tools includeat least one of an automated report generating tool, a parameterconsistency check tool, a real-time alert tool, a mobility evaluationtool, a coverage and interference management tool, a network outagetool, a network configuration tool, a load distribution tool, a spectrumcarving tool, or a special events tool.
 5. A computer-implemented methodcomprising: receiving, via a self-organizing network (SON) portal,specification of a SON tool of a plurality of SON tools; receiving, bythe SON tool, one or more performance indicators associated with networkinformation, the performance indicators received from a consolidationengine or performance indicator store of a SON via an applicationprogramming interface (API) for SONs that is utilized by the pluralityof SON tools; and performing, by the SON tool, at least one action basedat least in part on the one or more performance indicators, the at leastone action being one of generating an updated network configuration,invoking, via the API, a SON component to perform an action, invoking,via the API, an engineering tool to perform an action, passing, via theAPI, information to a SON component, sending, via the API, anotification, or generating a report.
 6. The method of claim 5, whereinthe network information and the one or more network components areassociated with one of a telecommunication network, a smart power grid,or a medical health system.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein thegenerating comprises invoking, via the API, one or more engineeringtools to participate in the generating, invoking a SON component,passing the information, sending the notification, or generating thereport.
 8. The method of claim 5, wherein the SON tool is furtherinvoked by one or more of a visualization tool, another SON tool, or theconsolidation engine.
 9. The method of claim 5, further comprisingproviding, by the SON tool, the updated network configuration via theAPI to configure one or more network components.
 10. The method of claim5, wherein the API offers one or more alerts and alarms that may bereceived by or invoked by the SON tool.
 11. One or more computer storagedevices having stored thereon a plurality of processor-executablemodules associated with a self-organizing network (SON), the pluralityof processor-executable modules comprising: a consolidation enginewhich, when operated, receives network information and determines one ormore performance indicators associated with the network information; aplurality of SON tools each of which, when operated, utilizes anapplication programming interface (API) for SONs that is shared by theSON tools to receive the one or more performance indicators from theconsolidation engine or from a performance indicator store and performat least one action based at least in part on the one or moreperformance indicators, the at least one action being one of generatingan updated network configuration, invoking, via the API, a SON componentto perform an action, invoking, via the API, an engineering tool toperform an action, passing, via the API, information to a SON component,sending, via the API, a notification, or generating a report; and a SONportal which, when operated, enables specification of at least one ofthe plurality of SON tools for execution.
 12. The one or more computerstorage devices of claim 11, further comprising a SON automation enginewhich, when operated, executes at least one of the SON tools and exposesto the at least one of the SON tools the API for SONs.
 13. The one ormore computer storage devices of claim 12, wherein the SON portalprovides social networking capabilities to enable users to collaborateon the generation of SON tools.
 14. The one or more computer storagedevices of claim 11, wherein the SON automation engine is configured togenerate one or more SON tools based on user comments received by theSON portal.
 15. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 11,wherein the consolidation engine receives network information from atleast one of a trouble ticket system, radio traces, core network traces,an operations support system (OSS), a work order system, an alarmsystem, or one or more other network elements.
 16. The one or morecomputer storage devices of claim 11, wherein the consolidation enginefilters the network information and utilizes the filtered networkinformation in determining the one or more performance indicators. 17.The one or more computer storage devices of claim 11, further comprisinga visualization tool to generate visualizations of network informationbased on the one or more performance indicators, the visualization toolutilizing the API to receive the one or more performance indicators fromthe consolidation engine.
 18. The one or more computer storage devicesof claim 17, wherein the visualization tool triggers an SON automationengine to execute one of the SON tools via the API.
 19. The one or morecomputer storage devices of claim 17, wherein the visualization toolprovides the visualizations to the SON portal for display by the SONportal.
 20. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 11,further comprising one or more engineering tools available to the SONtools via the API, the engineering tools participating in generating theupdated network configuration.
 21. The one or more computer storagedevices of claim 20, wherein the engineering tools include at least oneof a performance management tool, a radio frequency (RF) planning tool,an automatic frequency planning tool, a rehoming tool, or an automaticcell planning tool.
 22. The one or more computer storage devices ofclaim 11, further comprising a parameter configurator which, whenoperated, receives the updated network configuration via the API andconfigures one or more network components.
 23. The one or more computerstorage devices of claim 22, wherein the one or more network componentsconfigured by the parameter configurator include at least one of an OSS,a work order system, a trouble ticket system, radio traces, core networktraces, an alarm system or one or more other network elements.
 24. Theone or more computer storage devices of claim 11, wherein at least oneof the SON tools extends the API and the performance indicators.
 25. Theone or more computer storage devices of claim 11, wherein the SON toolsare configured to communicate with each other using the API.
 26. The oneor more computer storage devices of claim 11, wherein each of the SONtools is configured to perform the at least one action without respectto the performance indicators in response to triggering of that SONtool.